Forage-creel for poultry-houses



(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 1. J. G. STAUNTON,

FORAGE OREEL FUR POULTRY HOUSES. No. 366,698. Patented July 19, 1887.

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'3 Sheets--Sheet. 2.

J. G. STAUNTON.-

FORAGE GREEL FOR POULTRY HOUSES.

(No Model.)

No. 366,698. Patented July 19, 1887.

five/771607 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. G. STAUNTON.

FORAGE GREEL FOR POULTRY HOUSES.

No. 366,698. Patented July 19, 1887.

five/71.25071 WiZ'ne/sJeAnn. PETERS mommrw n mn Wlshinginn, n c

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrlc.

J. GALUSHA STAUNTON, OF ELLlCOTTVlLLE, NE\V YORK.

FORAGE-CREEL FOR POULTRY-HOUSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,698, dated July 19, 1887.

Application filed July 29, 1885.

(No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. GALUSHA STAUNTON, citizen of the United States, residing at Ellicottville, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Forage Crels for Poultry-l-louses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to structures and devices used in poultry-culture as connections with a poultry-house and its forage-runways.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of the creel or forage in closure, so that it may be knocked down for transportation or storage, and easily and quickly put together by interlocking for use to form a forage-park, and,when erected, to make the weight of its parts contribute by gravitation to hold the parts interlocked.

Figure l is a view in perspective of a creel embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a view in perspective showing in detail the side and end pieces before being interlocked; Fig. 3, a perspective of the top or cover-,which secures the sections when joined; Fig. 4, a vertical section showing the manner of interlocking the sides and ends. Fig. 5 is a plan showing the creel and. poultry-house connected by the permanent and portable pathways.

The creel or forage-park is composed of two end frames, A A, two side frames, B B, and a top or cover, 0. The end frames, which stand vertically, are made of two narrow strips of lumber, a a, a few inches in width, laid parallel to each other at such a distance as will give the necessary height to the structure when in use. The ends of these strips are then marked and cut at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Narrow strips 1) b, of the same width and thickness as the others, are then fitted and secured, by lap-joining, to the diagonal ends of the said horizontal strips. Thin nar row strips of lumber a are then fastened upon the horizontal ones, the spaces between them successively varying toward a vertical position upon the horizontal ones from end to end toward the middle. A half dovetail or V- notch, (Z, is cut in the upper ends of said inclined strips 0 Z), and on the outer edge of the same, of a depth corresponding to the width of the horizontal top piece, a, and the lower ends of these inclined cross-pieces on the outer side are also notched by a square cut, c, to the depth of the thickness of the lower hori zontal strips, f, of the side frames. These side frames stand inclined from the bottom inward toward each other, and are formed by bars f and 9, connected together by strips h,- and as the lower bar, f, interlocks in the square notch c of the lower bars of the end frames by reason of the square notches i, cut in the upper edge of said lower bar near its ends, so in like manner the upper bar, 9, interlocks with the end frame by a notch, j, cut on its outer side, so as to form a half-dovetail to fit into the half dovetail or V-notch it in the upper end of the inclined bar of said end frame. By this construction the side frames, by reason of the half-dovetail formed by the notchesj, are set into the V-notches (Z of the end frames and then joined at the bottom, the bars f, by reason of the notches 1?, fitting in the squarecnt notches 6, locking the side and ends secure, when the cover is set in the top space formed by these frames.

The top or cover 0 is a sash of a size to cor respond with the top frame space to be closed, the said sash having a wire covering, as shown, and adapted to fit within and upon the top bars of the said frames, in which position it is held by the projecting endsie of its end bars, overlapping and resting upon the top bars of the side frames. So long as the removable sashcover is in place, the side frames are look ed together, and to separate them the cover must first be removed. These several partssides, ends, and coverwhen put together, if lifted only by the ends, will hold together without further fastening, and can be so moved to new forage.

One of the end frames is provided with a doorway, E, for the admission of the fowls, either from a movable pathway, D, or from a permanent runway, F, having a series of gates, Z, along its sides.

The use of a parkingcreel is well understood by those conversant with poultry-culture; but the particular utility of the hereitrdescribed creel consists in its capacity to be set up and knocked down, so that one man can easily and quickly handle it in changing its position in the field to renew the forage-closure, and to be stored in packs or transported.

I prefer to use a folding pathway of sections of open work-such as that described and shown in an application for a patent filed by me of even date herewith-because it gives the advantage of being easily and quickly handled and placed end for end by one man, and of being folded as a single lattice-frame with the creel parts in a single stack.

The construction gives the advantage of th self'interlocking of the side and end frames, and of a locking function afforded by the top sash set in the top frame-space upon the side frames. The interlocking is made so that the weight of the side frames forces them together with the end frames. The sloping sides give twice the area of forage that would be afforded by a creel having the same top area as the base, but with vertical sides, while the sloping sides require very little more material for the construction ofthe creel, and the corresponding construction of the end pieces with diagonal bracing-slats gives greatly-increased strength and sustainingpower to the structure.

The lattice or open work of the frames and of the sash may be of wire,wire-cloth, or other suitable material.

1. The herein-described parking-creel for poultry-houses, consisting of the side and end frames and a removable top sash of open work, the ends ofthe said side and end frames having suitable notches, whereby they are joined and interlocked with each other at the top and bottom, forming a knockdown structure having an end doorway,'substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. A parking-creel for fowls composed of side and end frames of open-work, the top and bottom strips or bars of the side frames having notches at their ends, and the sloping end bars of the end frames having matching notches, in combination with a removable top sash fitted within and upon the said joining frames to lock them together as a knockdown structure, for the purpose specified.

3. A knockdown poultrycreel of open work having sloping side and vertical end frames, each frame having notches at the four corners, whereby they are joined and interlocked, and a removable set-in top sash of open-work, substantially as described, for the purpose specified. 7 a

4. The portable forage-closu re herein described, consisting of the sloping side frames, having their horizontal bars notched at z'j, and vertical end frames notched at d 6, whereby to lock-join the closure at its four corners, in which the weight of the side frames acts to force them together with the end frames, and a set-in top sash having the supporting ends overlapping and resting upon the top bars of said side frames, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. GALUSHA STAUNTON. WVitnesses:

H. D. PERSONS, J. W. HUMPHREY,- J r. 

